Okinawa and Switzerland hold a
yuntaku (chat). ‘
hai,’ says Okinawa hoarsely. ‘What's wrong?’ Switzerland asks. ‘Because fewer and fewer people speak my language, my voice is getting weaker and weaker.’ ‘I don't have that problem with my Alemannic. At work as well as at home, everyone uses dialect!’ ‘I'll immediately encourage my residents to use
uchinaaguchi joyfully in all kinds of situations as well! Then my voice will be strong again!’ Okinawa said. ‘But, Switzerland, your face has no colour. Are you sickly or weak?' 'My insects and birds are dying off, because people keep using insecticides. You still have a lot of insects and birds. You should consider yourself lucky.’ ‘Then I hope people over here don't make the same mistakes as they did in Switzerland. What is to become of me if I can no longer listen to my favourite birds or admire beautiful butterflies?’
‘Yes, Okinawa. Cherish nature!’
‘
miinisinukuru takaya nishikara watatichuun! (This Okinawan saying translates to ‘When the north wind blows, the surprise of a buzzard comes from the north.’)’ Okinawa shouted, stood up and tried to point in the direction of a bird in the sky, but suddenly began to tremble and had to sit down again.
‘Why did you suddenly start shaking, Okinawa?’
‘Because we get most of our power from oil, which comes from far away. We want to use power that is reliably available locally, like solar energy. But for some reason it doesn't work.’ ‘If you want to build solar cells, don't build them on fertile fields or on vegetated slopes, but build them on rooftops instead.’ ‘I see! How can we get there?’ ‘Educate people, highlight it in the public debate and pass effective building laws!’ ‘Thank you, Switzerland. It sounds like you made good experiences with that.’
‘Yeah, things are going well in that respect, but...’ replied Switzerland, who then fell silent and thoughtful.
'Why are you so pensive, Switzerland? You look sad.’ ‘I wish to live my daily life as brightly and as freely as you do, but I am missing something important: I have lost my songs and dances! I don't know what and how my ancestors sang and danced. As I can no longer draw such music and movement from within myself, I am unfortunately forced to look at the so-called works of art produced daily by the culture industry in museums and on the stage, and to fill myself with consumer goods. But I cannot find anything wise, direct and impulsive there, or myself. Okinawa, you have preserved something very precious. Don't let it die out! Especially watch out for the tourism industry! The tourism industry sucks the life force out of every living culture by commercialising it. Superficial staging without in-depth dialogue between locals and tourists, without questions like ‘why like this’, ‘what does that mean’, ‘why do people do this and that’, and without answers to them, is honestly poison for living culture. I speak from experience, as a pioneer in the tourism industry.’
In the course of its dialogue with Switzerland, Okinawa realised her good fortune to have at her disposal an important treasure: living culture.
Okinawa and Switzerland bid farewell and were thankful for the
yuntaku, which thanks to their mutual interest and concern has enabled them to uncover such a profound and important truth.
Author: me
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沖縄 #
utasanshin #
唄三線
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